The Patent Slipway at the yard is undergoing a major restoration for the first time in nearly 30 years. Underfall Yard Volunteer Writer Andrew Radford decided to investigate. Underfall Yard at the Western end of Bristol’s floating harbour is a treasure trove of historic machinery and equipment related to the nautical world, much of which is still in working order, making the Yard not a [...]
In November Underfall Yard was delighted to welcome boatbuilder Gail McGarva to run her Disappearing Lines boatbuilding workshop. Underfall Yard volunteer writer Andrew Radford takes up the story. Having only recently joined the Underfall Yard volunteer force, and spent some time reading the website, I saw mention of this workshop and signed up. Between doing so and the day of the event I had many [...]
On 9th, 10th and 11th of November Underfall Yard will host a series of special boatbuilding workshops run by traditional boatbuilder Gail McGarva. The Disappearing Lines workshop is a combination of practical hands-on activities interwoven with capturing the stories of craft in danger of extinction. The one-day workshop will give you the opportunity to try your hand at two key processes in traditional wooden boat [...]
Explore Bristol’s maritime past at Docks Heritage Weekend 2019, with events for all ages at Underfall Yard, M Shed and SS Great Britain. This annual event celebrates the important story of Bristol’s historic Docks, which were the centre of the city’s trade for centuries. Eclipsed after the 1920s by Avonmouth Docks, the last regular trading ship departed in1974 and the Docks were closed to commercial [...]
Underfall Yard’s exhibition of photographs of Bristol Harbour in the late 1970s by Jem Southam provide a unique and definitive portrait of the harbour on the eve of its transformation from a place of industry and work to one of leisure and recreation. One of Southam’s first major projects, the photographs were published in The Floating Harbour: A Landscape History of the Bristol City Docks [...]
Underfall Yard is delighted to be taking part in the first ever Bristol Photo Festival this summer. From 18th of June until late summer, an outdoor exhibition will display a series of photographs of Bristol City Docks in the late 1970s by Jem Southam which provide a unique portrait of the harbour at a time of rapid change. One of Southam’s first major projects, the [...]
Thanks to a recently installed webcam, people from around the world can now enjoy the stunning view of Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour from Underfall Yard at the click of a button. The webcam project is part of the Trust’s wider effort to allow visitors to remotely engage with Underfall Yard and Bristol Harbour. In future it is hoped the live feed will help promote the [...]
Underfall Yard and Café have now reopened, and Bristol Ferry services and tours will resume from May 17th. To mark their long-awaited return, you are invited to join Underfall Yard Trust and Bristol Ferry for a free virtual tour of Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour and Underfall Yard. The Virtual Tour will take place on Tuesday April 17th at 1.30p.m. Departing from Castle Park, we will [...]
On 9th of April at 12 noon you are invited to join Underfall Yard Trust to experience the Harbour Scour and explore 'Brunel's Other Bridge' from the comfort of your own home. The visit will begin by considering the Harbour Scour which is an essential part of Bristol's silt management system. Taking place on a fortnightly basis, the Scour sees Cumberland Basin emptied at low [...]
In January 2021 Underfall Yard Trust began offering virtual tours of the yard. Initially intended to be a temporary measure, the Trust has decided to continue to offer virtual visits alongside traditional in-person visits. The tours have been an excellent way of allowing Underfall Yard to continue to tell its story and engage with the community during lockdown and since January, nearly 600 people from [...]